Gluten-Free Whole Grain Banana Muffins with Pecans and Dark Chocolate

Beauteous, scrumptious, aromatic muffins!

*sigh*... I love these muffins. All the flavors and textures mingle and mesh to form the perfect wholesome, comfort treat. They smell AH-mazing. And they seem to be a hit with health-eaters, comfort-foodies and sweet-toothed alike. And unlike most gluten-free baked goods, these babies are moist enough to enjoy at room temperature. But, if you'd like to warm them up with some buttah, I certainly won't stand in your way ;)

Makes 18 standard muffins or 1 large loaf pan.

Ingredients: 

6 Tbsp unsalted grassfed butter, melted

3 extra large eggs

2 cups (~5 med) very ripe bananas, mashed

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp, packed, orange zest

260g (2 cups) Pamela's Baking Mix

65g (1/2 cup) sorghum flour

2 Tbsp ground flax (optional)

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp Himalayan or other unrefined salt (1/4 tsp if using salted butter)

1/2 rounded tsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1/8 tsp cloves)

1/4 cup coconut palm sugar

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
LOVE! (makes everything better, especially these muffins)

Feel free to warm it up with some butter :)

Directions:
 
Preheat oven to 350°F. Thoroughly grease a large loaf pan or 1 1/2 muffin tins (my next batch, I'll adjust amounts to make 2 full muffins & post results). I like to use coconut oil.

Add orange zest to hot melted butter and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients - except chocolate chips and pecans.

In a separate bowl, whip eggs until frothy and then whisk in vanilla, sour cream, vinegar and banana, then zest-butter. 

With a wooden spoon or stiff spatula, combine dry and wet ingredients until fully incorporated. The lack of gluten will prevent them from getting tough from overmixing. Stir in pecans and chocolate chips.

Pour evenly into prepared pan(s) and, if you're making muffins, fill unused cups with 1/2 an inch of water. Bake muffins for 35 minutes, loaf 45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean and they are a nice deep golden brown on top.

Enjoy :)

Storage Tip:

• As with most GF baked goods, these muffins don't love the fridge. And while you can soften them back up by wrapping in a damp paper towel and microwaving for a few seconds, they won't be the same wonderful texture they were before. So, I'd recommend letting them cool completely, then storing them in an airtight tupperware at room temperature for up to 3 days (2 in hot summer) and then freeze the leftovers, if there are any ;) To defrost, either place a paper towel in the tupperware, close the lid and leave at room temp overnight, or wrap muffins individually in paper towel and microwave on low (90 secs on power level 3 works for me), then crisp up their structure by popping them in the toaster oven for a minute.

Orange Maple Yam Corn Muffins (gluten-free)

Mouthwateringly cute with a sprinkling of buttery pecans

I got the idea for these from a recipe the HeartMath kitchen used to make years ago. Thinly sliced yams tossed with melted butter, orange juice and maple syrup, baked until the juices caramelized in the most unbelievable way. My mouth is literally watering just thinking about that dish! So I thought, I should make that into a muffin! Et voilà!

Gluten-Free Corn Muffins & Cornbread

Another wonderful recipe from Pamela's Products, with some adjustments to make them extra delicious. Soft, tender and fluffy on the inside with a wonderful golden crunch on top. These disappear quickly so you may want to make a double batch ;-)

 

Makes 12 muffins

1 1/4 cup Pamela's Baking Mix
1 cup fine yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup raw honey
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 extra large eggs, beaten
1 cup milk

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar 
2 Tbsp butter, melted

Muffins: 

Grease or line a standard-size muffin tin and preheat oven to 350°. Stir vinegar into milk and let sit for 5 minutes. Stir honey into hot butter and set aside. Mix remaining ingredients together, including milk, then add honey-butter. Fill prepared muffin tin 3/4 full and bake for 20-25 minutes, until tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm with butter and, most of all, ENJOY!

Cornbread: 

Follow directions above. Pour into a well-greased 8-inch square baking dish and bake for 25-30 minutes.


Tip:

• As with most GF baked goods, these muffins don't love the fridge - they dry out and get hard. And while you can soften them back up by wrapping in a damp paper towel and microwaving for a few seconds, they won't be the same wonderful texture they were before. So, I'd recommend storing them in an airtight tupperware at room temperature for a few days and then if there are any left, freeze them. Either defrost them at room temp overnight or wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave on low, then crisp up the tops in the toaster oven.

Delicious Nutritious Calcium-Rich Granola

One of my favorite things to do is make gifts for people. I know that sounds super pageant-y but it's true! In fact, most of my recipes (edible & skincare) started out as a birthday present, Mother's Day treat, etc. And this is no different. Whether you're looking to boost your calcium intake, or just want a nutritious, satisfying snack, this is a great recipe.

Note: It is important to soak the fruit overnight if possible, or at least for a few hours, so it doesn't turn into hard jerky when it bakes. If you're gluten intolerant make sure your oats are certified gluten-free. I like Trader Joe's brand.

2 cups rolled oats 

1/2 cup ground flax
1/4 cup slivered almonds

2 Tbsp sunflower seeds

2 Tbsp sesame seeds

1/4 tsp salt 

2 Tbsp blackstrap molasses
2 Tbsp maple syrup 
3 Tbsp unrefined coconut oil
1 Tbsp water

1/2 tsp orange juice concentrate 

1/2 cup dried figs, minced

1/4 cup dried apricots, minced

1 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp maple syrup (cut in 1/2 if apricots are sweetened)

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position, and preheat to 275 degrees. Line a 9x13" metal pan with parchment paper or grease thoroughly with coconut oil.

2. Soak the fruit in a bowl with 1 Tbsp maple syrup plus enough water to just cover fruit. Let sit overnight.

3. Mix oats, nuts, seeds and salt in a large bowl. Bring molasses, syrup, oil and water to a simmer in a saucepan over low heat. Drizzle over oat mixture, and stir to combine.

4. Spread mixture evenly over prepared pan. Using your hands, firmly press down the granola. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating pans halfway through.

5. Remove pans from oven and gently stir granola. Continue to bake until it is a deep golden brown, about 15 minutes longer. Let cool completely. 

Tips:

• Granola can be stored in an airtight container for about two weeks. 
• You can double the recipe, but bake the granola in two pans. You also may need to increase cooking time. The key is to bake the granola until it is an impressive deep golden brown.
• Boost your calcium intake even more by serving granola with milk or yogurt.

Calcium Content Per Cup:

(just a reference point - not that you'd eat a cup of these items)

Blackstrap molasses 3200mg

Sesame seeds 1404mg

Flax seeds 428mg
Almonds 378mg
Maple syrup 321mg
Dried figs 241mg
Sunflower seeds 117mg

Dried apricots 72mg

Crispy Salted Oatmeal Cookies (Gluten-Free)

A truly heavenly cookie - light, crispy, melt-in-your-mouth buttery goodness. Not too sweet, with a hint of salt and spice to kick the addictive factor way up. These have quickly become famous among my friends and family. Just try to eat only one ;-)

Hi!

A family member once asked me, sheepishly: 
"Would you perhaps consider sharing your recipe with me?" Here's how I feel about that... 
I put a ton of care into creating all of my recipes and my biggest joy is sharing my creations with people I love! And if I can't make them for you, and you'd like to make them for yourself, that's awesome! If I can contribute a little extra sparkle to your life, encourage you to care for yourself, or help you in any way through my recipes and experiences, that seriously fills me with so much happiness.

Perfect Gluten-Free Pancakes

These are perfect crowd-pleasing pancakes. They're fluffy with crispy edges like traditional pancakes, but with more oomph. I love using Pamela's Baking Mix because the flavor is really spot-on. The almond meal especially adds a nice hint of nuttiness and texture. When I got the closed-eyed, mmm-ing thumbs up from extremely skeptical gluten-eating guys, I knew I had a winner on my hands.

My favorite way to eat these is with fresh mango, strawberries for tartness, and a little maple syrup.

Photo © Pamela's Products, Inc.

Makes ~12 4-inch pancakes

2 cups Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix
2 large eggs, beaten until frothy
3/4 cup coconut milk (for extra yummy flavor use TJ's coconut cream)
3/4 cup water
2 TBSP unrefined coconut oil, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon (pumpkin pie spice also works well)
Butter and coconut oil for cooking (I like to use a combo)


1. Mix all ingredients together until there are no lumps. I like to use an electric beater - since they don't have gluten, beating makes them fluffier. Batter will be a little bit thicker than standard pancake batter. 

2. Coat pan or griddle with plenty of butter/oil and cook pancakes over medium low heat. When they are bubbling and ready to flip, lift each one with a spatula, add a little more butter to the pan and then flip uncooked side onto pan. This will ensure both sides get crispy. Serve immediately.

Tips

• To reheat, put pancakes in toaster oven (or frying pan) on high for a minute, then flip and cook for one more minute until hot and crispy. 
• The best maple syrup is Grade B - it's less refined than Grade A which means richer maple flavor and slightly lower glycemic index.
• If you can't get fresh strawberries, just put a few frozen ones in a bowl and microwave loosely covered until the juices reduce down a little.